A 43-YEAR-OLD Honde-Valley man has been slapped with a nine-year jail term for contravening the Parks and Wildlife Act after he was found in possession of five scales of a pangolin.
BY KENNETH NYANGANI
Daniel Man’aira from Nyabindu village, Sagambe, under Chief Mutasa, appeared before Mutare magistrate Tendai Mahwe on Thursday and was convicted after a full trial.
According to prosecutor Brian Goto, on March 16 around 5pm a Zimbabwe Parks and Wild Life Management Authority senior investigations and security officer based in Masvingo, Maclean Yakobe, received a tip-off that the accused had pangolin scales he was offering for sale.
Goto told the court that Yakobe, acting on the information, received and enlisted the services of detectives Tatenda Evidence Dhliwayo and Tamiriraishe Mashanjere and went to Sagambe growth point.
The accused appeared and offered to sell them five pangolin scales for $4 000. Man’aira produced the five scales and was immediately arrested.
The pangolins scales weighed 0,042 grammes and were valued at $5 000.
Pangolin scales are a trophy of a specially protected animal and cannot be held without a permit issued by the Parks and Wildlife Management Authority.
